J. Gregory Payne

Agenda Setting in a Culture of Fear: The Lasting Effects of September 11 on American Politics and Journalism

Agenda setting has been developed, expanded, and employed in numerous studies as an analytical tool that affords an understanding of not only how our political reality is formulated but also how “realities” can be manufactured. However, as the authors argue, by grafting agenda setting and media systems dependency theory—two different traditions in mass communication theory—it is possible to better account for changes in the agenda-setting process because of shifts in the power relationships between all actors involved, especially under conditions of increased threat; conditions similar to those the American public has lived in since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Illustrations from Campaign 2004 complement this analysis. The authors suggest that it is critical to understand the dynamics of the making of “mediated realities” so as to alert readers of the importance in furthering critical media literacy skills necessary for the public to distinguish between facades and facts.

Health Literacy A Nonissue in the 2000 Presidential Election

Both candidates in the 2000 presidential campaign focused on issues related to health and education as key components of their platforms. Yet the campaign failed to address an emerging problem with the American and world community—health literacy. Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Large numbers of the U.S. population lack an adequate level of health literacy to be able to function effectively in the health care system. Within the context of the presidential campaign rhetoric on health and education, this study examines health literacy and summarizes the voluminous research published on this topic and its implications for health communication, intervention and research. Although health literacy did not receive adequate attention in the presidential campaign, the authors advocate that it should be a focus for policy makers.

Effective Health Message Design The America Responds to AIDS Campaign

The greatest health communication challenge of the 20th century—preventing the spread of HIV and curtailing the AIDS epidemic—threatens the health of citizens for the next century despite governmental efforts to limit the spread of the deadly disease. The authors analyze a governmental media campaign, the America Responds to AIDS campaign waged by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, outlining strengths and shortcomings of the effort. This article applies the workable integrative negotiation (WIN[UNKNOWN]) principles of COAST[UNKNOWN] (communication, options, alternatives, standards, and trust) in a descriptive analysis of a specific national marketing communication effort by the government. The authors concur on the necessity of a comprehensive approach of individually adapting health care messages to advance the overall quality of media campaigns and the health of America in general.

Reflections on Public Diplomacy: People-to-People Communication

Various governmental and one nongovernmental public diplomacy efforts are outlined in this descriptive essay that focuses on the importance of open communication at the grassroots level as a requisite for the establishment of meaningful and sustaining relationships and the development of trust. State Department-sponsored visits to Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbajain, and Turkmenistan are described and challenges noted, as well as the background and initial phases of the first grassroots effort after 9/11—the Saudi American Exchange.

Celebrity Spectacle Influence on Young Voters in the 2004 Presidential Campaign What to Expect in 2008

Media attention to celebrities during the 2004 U.S. presidential campaign was substantial. This article traces some of the more remarkable celebrity roles throughout the campaign. Through an account of journalistic experience, the authors provide evidence of the way celebrity spectacle dominated much of the campaign rhetoric in the 2004 election. Analysis of what to expect in the future suggests only increased attention to the role of celebrities in U.S. politics as the line between information and entertainment is blurred.

Mass Media, Public Health, and Achieving Health Literacy

Mass media agendas and health communication objectives can be authoritative allies or forceful foes when it comes to supplying the public with accurate and timely health information. We have learned from the field of risk communication that conveying health information must be done in a balanced and accurate way to facilitate the needed safety measures without promoting panic. Unfortunately, the goals of mass media and public health rarely match up. At no time was this more evident than during the anthrax scares in October–December 2001. Terrorism—be it biological, chemical, or nuclear—could have serious effects on the public’s health, use of the health care infrastructure, and trust in governmental oversight. People providing information to the public have a responsibility to report accurate health information, especially in the event of an emergency. But, even with pledges for ethical dissemination of information, disconnects often exist between the source of the information and those receiving the message. Several contributors to this special issue highlight the importance of health literacy in getting truthful and timely information to the public. Given the ‘‘mediated reality’’ and misinformation that is often rampant in medical and health stories, steps must be taken to minimize potentially harmful effects and provide consumers with the skills necessary to apply specific health information to their own lives. For example, much of the public’s mistrust in the government and taking matters into their own hands (such as getting a prescription for Cipro or buying ‘‘anti-bioterrorism kits’’ online) might have been avoided had the Surgeon General stepped forward during the anthrax crisis. Instead, health communication professionals were not adequately deployed, consumers were not quickly informed about real risks, and useful safety messages were garbled at best. As has been pointed out herein, health literacy is complicated and opportunities to advance it should be seized. Time is of the essence in this regard as large parts of the U.S. population are being vaccinated against smallpox. Current events such as this should serve as opportunities to teach. In addition, we would like to propose the following goals for the U.S. government, public health officials, and the media:

The Bradley Effect: Mediated Reality of Race and Politics in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

This article discusses the origins of the so-called theory known as the “Bradley effect” within the historical context of the 1982 California gubernatorial election and its emergence as a popular, albeit questionable, explanation for Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley’s unexpected loss in which racism is singled out as a major reason. The essay explores the validity of the Bradley effect in politics as well as how campaign operatives, journalists, pollsters, bloggers, and pundits focus on race, sometimes in a synergistic manner, to both validate and dismiss the effect of race on the election.

Education for the Health Communication Professional: A Collaborative Curricular Partnership

This article provides the context and rationale for a unique partnership of a communication college and medical school synergistically combining resources to create a masters degree program specifically in health communication. The architects of this revolutionary educational approach to health communication at Emerson College and Tufts University School of Medicine offer suggestions for administrators and professors interested in advancing health communication education. A slightly modified version of the actual proposal of a unique academic relationship to educate leaders in the field of health communication is discussed in relation to the target audience, curriculum, and career opportunities. Given the groundbreaking nature of the program, it is presented as an exemplar, with a copy of the proposal approved by each institutions Board of Trustees.

Shaping the race issue: A special kind of journalism

Abstract The paper examines the press coverage of the Los Angeles Times in the 1982 gubernatorial election between Mayor Tom Bradley and George Deukmejian in terms of the proclivity to highlight Bradleys race in campaign news stories. The paper focuses on the statement made by Deukmejian campaign manager, Bill Roberts, in the early days of October, with his candidate trailing badly in the polls, that “there was a hidden anti‐black vote” that would aid Deukmejian on election day. The authors detail the Los Angeles Times coverage of this statement and the tendency of the Times to focus on this story during the entire month of October rather than to report on the issues addressed by the candidates. The analysis notes that as campaign coverage zeroed in on the race issue, so did polls and voter interest. After examining the coverage and Deukmejians narrow victory, the authors pose questions of ethics to reporters engaged in this writing and outline concerns for such practices in future elections and campaigns.

Trend analysis of the 1984 GOP senatorial spots

Abstract The paper presents a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 101 senatorial spots of the 1984 national campaign. Examining the advertisements according to the classification system outlined by Diamond and Bates in The Spot, the authors note the emergence of negative attack spots as the most predominant type of advertisement among incumbents and challengers and present notable trends according to region and other characteristics of the spots of the 1984 GOP senatorial television blitz.